Abstract:

Thermophoresis is the phenomenon observed when particles move in response to a temperature gradient. In previous studies, research in measuring the thermophoresis of DNA has shown that DNA is repelled away from heat and will migrate towards colder regions. The profile of depletion is fitted by the thermophoretic theory to reveal the Soret coefficient. The approach opens new ways to monitor thermophoresis near boundaries and in complex mixtures. We have already examined the mechanism of DNA thermophoresis using computer simulation. We now present an experimental design to observe thermophoresis of a synthetic polymer dissolved in water which displays a solubility with inverse temperature dependence, and to measure the values of the Soret coefficient at different mean temperatures. Acknowledgment is made to the Donors of the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund for support of this research.

Primary Author:

James Lee